‘Women should not feel ashamed’: Another Indian company announces menstrual leaves

Another company, based in Delhi, has announced period leaves for its women employees. It said that women employees should not feel ashamed or stigmatised to talk about menstrual health or applying for these leaves. On Wednesday, consumer electrical products company, Orient Electric, which is known for making fans, air coolers, water heaters, home appliances and LEDs, announced its new policy in an attempt to create a more diverse and inclusive work environment. 

The company said that it is part of a group of few Indian companies to have introduced period leaves. Other companies include Swiggy and Zomato, and Jaipur-based Jaipurkurti.com. 

Orient Electric CHRO Aditya Kohli said that they believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce with more women in the right roles creates an environment that is critical to their long-term business success. “In line with this, we conduct regular Women Connect sessions wherein we listen to the experiences and expectations of our women workforce and one key discussion area emerging out of this has been menstrual health and hygiene,” he said.

Kohli said that they are happy to introduce a monthly period leave for their women employees. “We believe that women should not feel ashamed or stigmatized when talking about menstrual health or applying for period leaves. 

He said that they have other policies and programmes in place that focus on women’s health and safety and their equal representation. The company is also increasingly cognizant of the unconscious workplace bias and conducts regular company-wide sessions to raise awareness. “Our aim is to foster a conducive environment which allows everyone to feel accepted, valued, and included,” he said. 

Orient Electric is a ‘Great Place to Work’ certified company, and has retained the status for three years in a row.

The company is part of the $2.4 billion diversified CK Birla Group and is a ‘Fortune India 500’ company. It has its presence in over 40 countries, with 1,25,000 retail outlets in the domestic market.

Also read: Swiggy offers no-questions asked, two-day monthly paid period leave to female delivery partners

Also read: This Jaipur-based company announces period leaves for women employees